What you need to know about burns before you get burned.
I’ve been cooking since I was 6 or 7. And I’ve been burned cooking since about that time. Haha. When I was a kid, I always held the cookie sheet wrong and got burns on my arms.
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When I got a burn, we tried all kinds of remedies for burns while I was a kid. We would put butter on it. Then ice. Then (just kidding). And I’d have to go to the couch and prop my feet up. Hmph! Teenagers.
Now that I’m a grownup, I get a little bit fancier sometimes and will cook dishes that require me to put a skillet into the oven. And every time I cook a recipe like that, I promise myself I will be careful with the skillet handle when it comes out of the oven.
And every time, I get burned.
Recently, I got the worst burn of my life on the inside of my wrist. It was so serious that I went to the doctor after a few days of it not healing. My insurance was the pits at the time, so it was a huge deal that I went to the doctor. And for a burn? Psshhh! It wasn’t even a broken leg!
But while I was researching what to do about that burn before resorting to heading to the doctor, I found tips that could have helped if I knew them before I got burned.
For a standard burn, there isn’t much to do, but you need to do it immediately. First, run it under cool (not cold) water for about 5 minutes. This part will “take the burn out” and help with swelling later on. Ice is a no no and actually makes it burn worse when you take the ice off and your burn is no longer numb.
Second, wrap the burn in clean gauze. You want to keep the burn from getting air. Air will encourage your skin to scab, but you want it to do some healing before it scabs over. The gauze is acting like neosporin by creating an environment for your skin to heal itself. But don’t use neosporin because the oil can aggravate a burn. That’s why gauze is best.
If you have a really serious burn, silver can help your burn to heal quickly and keep it from scarring. The doctor gave me a prescription for a silver cream but I’ve heard colloidal silver works wonders on burns, too.
And if you’re like me, you might be cooking dinner alone or with a kid on your hip, so you’ll want to make sure your kitchen is stocked with the necessities. I keep mine in a little basket in the junk drawer. It’s my burn basket.
If I get a burn, I just stink my finger under cool water. Dry it carefully, then wrap my finger nice and snug. Then, I usually feel fine enough to continue on with dinner.
No trips to the couch for me anymore. I sure miss those teenage days. 🙂
What you need to know about burns before you get burned.
I’ve been cooking since I was 6 or 7. And I’ve been burned cooking since about that time. Haha. When I was a kid, I always held the cookie sheet wrong and got burns on my arms.
When I got a burn, we tried all kinds of remedies for burns while I was a kid. We would put butter on it. Then ice. Then (just kidding). And I’d have to go to the couch and prop my feet up. Hmph! Teenagers.
Now that I’m a grownup, I get a little bit fancier sometimes and will cook dishes that require me to put a skillet into the oven. And every time I cook a recipe like that, I promise myself I will be careful with the skillet handle when it comes out of the oven.
And every time, I get burned.
Recently, I got the worst burn of my life on the inside of my wrist. It was so serious that I went to the doctor after a few days of it not healing. My insurance was the pits at the time, so it was a huge deal that I went to the doctor. And for a burn? Psshhh! It wasn’t even a broken leg!
But while I was researching what to do about that burn before resorting to heading to the doctor, I found tips that could have helped if I knew them before I got burned.
For a standard burn, there isn’t much to do, but you need to do it immediately. First, run it under cool (not cold) water for about 5 minutes. This part will “take the burn out” and help with swelling later on. Ice is a no no and actually makes it burn worse when you take the ice off and your burn is no longer numb.
Second, wrap the burn in clean gauze. You want to keep the burn from getting air. Air will encourage your skin to scab, but you want it to do some healing before it scabs over. The gauze is acting like neosporin by creating an environment for your skin to heal itself. But don’t use neosporin because the oil can aggravate a burn. That’s why gauze is best.
If you have a really serious burn, silver can help your burn to heal quickly and keep it from scarring. The doctor gave me a prescription for a silver cream but I’ve heard colloidal silver works wonders on burns, too.
This is the kind of colloidal silver that I have, but the higher the ppm, the better.
And if you’re like me, you might be cooking dinner alone or with a kid on your hip, so you’ll want to make sure your kitchen is stocked with the necessities. I keep mine in a little basket in the junk drawer. It’s my burn basket.
If I get a burn, I just stink my finger under cool water. Dry it carefully, then wrap my finger nice and snug. Then, I usually feel fine enough to continue on with dinner.
No trips to the couch for me anymore. I sure miss those teenage days. 🙂